A group who provided input on the redevelopment of Charity Hospital and a "Spirit of Charity" district met Wednesday, July 25, 2018, at a meeting facilitated by the Greater New Orleans Foundation. (Kevin Litten, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)

New Orleans residents attending a kickoff meeting to launch an economic development district around historic Charity Hospital on Wednesday (July 25) said they are concerned about how serious the state is about gathering public input.

In less than a month, three developers will submit proposals outlining how they'd reuse the 1.2 million-square-foot former hospital to the LSU Foundation, which is leading the redevelopment effort for the state. Reinvigorating the neighborhood around the vacant building is a larger economic development effort being led by the Greater New Orleans Foundation, which is attempting to use the hospital's renovation as a catalyst.

Some people at Wednesday's meeting questioned how they could provide meaningful input without having any information from the developer finalists who are scheduled to submit their plans Aug. 20. And they expressed skepticism about whether LSU, which owns the building because it was formerly a teaching hospital, is committed to listening to residents who stand to benefit from the redevelopment.

"I think it's interesting the cart is pulling the horse already," said former City Councilman Oliver Thomas, who provided feedback to a working group during the meeting discussing economic inclusion. He added that he's concerned about politics coming into play in selecting the developer. "If you get the wrong developer, you're not going to get the right outcomes," he said.

Residents said they want to ensure affordable housing is included in the district, and the transportation group said they think the district could one day house a transit hub for downtown. Members of the group who focused on the building itself expressed the most skepticism.

"My concern is that you can't design a district if you don't know what you're going to do with 1 million square feet in the district. That has a huge impact on outcomes," said Amy Stelly, an independent designer and planner. "If we make a misstep with catalytic development, then we are doomed -- probably for 50 years."

On Thursday, the LSU Foundation responded to concerns voiced at the meeting about transparency and released the initial responses from developers in the state's selection process. The state used those developer letters earlier this year to pick the three finalists from a total of six. The development groups are New Orleans-based HRI Properties, Matthews Southwest and a partnership between El Ad US Holdings and CCNO Development.

Those letters contained a variety of information about the firms and their commitment to redeveloping the hospital, but they were spare in detail on what they'd ultimately propose in terms of possible tenants or the ultimate use of the building.

In a statement, LSU Foundation spokeswoman Sara Whittaker reiterated her organization's commitment to a project that will spur economic development in New Orleans, and said the foundation's Real Estate Facilities Foundation will keep residents' concerns in mind as they move through the selection process. She also said it is not unusual for real estate proposals to be kept out of public view during a bid process, saying it ensures the best project by fostering a robust and competitive process.

"We understand that this isn't just another redevelopment project," Whittaker said. "It's an important, exciting opportunity for LSU, the city of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana to collaborate on redeveloping Charity Hospital into the catalyst to reconnect the CBD and the medical district while jumpstarting economic development in this critical center of the city."

But that is unlikely to quell concerns from some of the most critical voices surrounding redevelopment, some of whom worked in the building for years before Hurricane Katrina. The hospital was the safety net health care provider for the region, treating the poorest residents and the most critically ill or injured.

Dr. Paul Harch, who helped establish the hospital's hyperbaric chamber the month before the storm struck, said there was a special devotion among Charity's workers that underscores why people are so sensitive about redevelopment.

"You saw people at the absolute extremes of disease and health care need where your intervention often had a profound effect -- by and large the people who were treated at Charity Hospital were extremely grateful," Harch said. "What is this 'Spirit of Charity?' If that's the name of the repurposing of this hospital and the whole area, that should be a focus."

Andy Kopplin, Greater New Orleans Foundation president, tried to allay some of those concerns, saying that everyone working on the redevelopment of the district recognizes a profound reverence for what the building symbolizes. A consultant working on the project, Design Jones LLC, is collecting surveys and conducting interviews with people who work and live in the area.

But for some, the redevelopment approach still doesn't sit well. Brad Ott, a longtime critic of LSU's decision to close the building known as "Big Charity," publicly called on Kopplin to urge LSU to restart the RFP process after the public input process can be completed. Kopplin said he's focused on gathering support from elected officials for the strategic plan, knowing that those officials will ultimately have to decide whether to approve an incentive package to get infrastructure and other needs in the district met using what's known as a tax increment financing plan.

Ott said Kopplin's response wasn't good enough.

"As you can see from the passion in this room, you have people who are skeptical that it's already been a done deal," Ott said.

Past proposals for Charity's next use have included mixed uses for residential, commercial and medical research spaces.